Nobuko Tsuda, an ethnic Ainu woman who earned her doctoral degree this autumn at age 68, said she hopes her feat will encourage younger generations of Hokkaido's indigenous people to aim for the top.

Tsuda, now 69, earned her doctoral degree from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Kanagawa Prefecture in September. Her thesis: the transition of embroidery techniques in Ainu clothing.

It is rare for an Ainu woman to get a doctoral-level education.